[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 72 (Tuesday, May 12, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H5437-H5439]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HERBERT A LITTLETON POSTAL STATION

  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 2162) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 123 11th Avenue South in

[[Page H5438]]

Nampa, Idaho, as the ``Herbert A. Littleton Postal Station''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2162

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. HERBERT A LITTLETON POSTAL STATION.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 123 11th Avenue South in Nampa, Idaho, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``Herbert A Littleton 
     Postal Station''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be 
     a reference to the ``Herbert A Littleton Postal Station''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch) and the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. 
Fortenberry) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts.

                              {time}  1630


                             General Leave

  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Massachusetts?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the subcommittee with jurisdiction over 
the United States Postal Service, I am pleased to present H.R. 2162 for 
consideration. This legislation will designate the United States postal 
facility located at 123 11th Avenue South in Nampa, Idaho, as the 
Herbert A Littleton Postal Station.
  Introduced by my colleague, Representative Walter Minnick, on April 
29, 2009, and reported out of the Oversight and Government Reform 
Committee on May 6, 2009, by unanimous consent, H.R. 2162 enjoys the 
support of both members of the Idaho House delegation.
  Marine Private First Class Herbert A Littleton was born on July 1, 
1930, in Mena, Arkansas, to his loving parents, Paul and Maude 
Littleton. He attended high school in Sturgis, South Dakota, where he 
played both football and basketball and was subsequently employed by 
the Electrical Appliance Corporation in Rapid City, South Dakota.
  On July 29, 1948, Private First Class Littleton enlisted in the 
United States Marine Corps at the age of 18. He completed boot camp in 
San Diego, California, before receiving additional training at nearby 
Camp Pendleton, which was then responsible for training the country's 
fighting force for the Korean War.
  Private First Class Littleton was deployed to Korea in December of 
1950, bravely serving with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, Artillery 
Forward Observation Team, Company C, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines. His 
distinguished service and tremendous bravery during the conflict 
quickly earned him the admiration of his comrades and eventually 
resulted in his posthumous receipt of the Medal of Honor, the United 
States military's highest decoration. Private First Class Littleton 
also posthumously received the Purple Heart, the Korean Service Medal 
with one bronze star, and the United Nations Service Medal.
  As recounted by the citation accompanying Private First Class 
Littleton's Congressional Medal of Honor, the young soldier exhibited 
conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life and above 
and beyond the call of duty, in action against enemy aggressor forces 
on April 22, 1951, in Chungchon, Korea.
  Specifically, in response to a violent night attack against his 
company, Private First Class Littleton quickly alerted his forward 
observation team and immediately moved into an advantageous position in 
order to assist in calling down artillery fire on the hostile force. 
Shortly after the arrival of other team members, an enemy hand grenade 
was thrown into PFC Littleton's vantage point. Without hesitation, the 
21-year-old private sacrificed his life by hurling himself on the 
grenade and absorbing its full impact. PFC Littleton's Medal of Honor 
citation goes on to recognize that through his prompt action, he not 
only saved the other members of his team from serious injury or death, 
but also enabled them to carry on their vital mission which resulted in 
their ability to resist the hostile attack.
  Mr. Speaker, Private First Class Littleton's dedicated service is a 
testament to all of the brave men and women in the United States Armed 
Forces who have offered this Nation the ultimate sacrifice. It is for 
this reason that the community of Nampa, Idaho, Private First Class 
Littleton's residence at the time of his death, marks every April 22 by 
holding a flag ceremony at the city's Herbert A Littleton flag pole in 
remembrance of his brave act. And it is for this reason that the city 
of Nampa has also named the road adjacent to PFC Littleton's grave in 
his honor.
  Mr. Speaker, let us further this brave soldier's remembrance by 
passing this legislation to rename the Nampa postal facility after him. 
I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2162.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I also rise in strong support of H.R. 2162, a bill 
designating the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
123 11th Avenue in Nampa, Idaho, as the Herbert A Littleton Postal 
Station.
  Mr. Speaker, many of my words here will repeat the commemoration the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch) just gave, but I think it is 
worth repeating because today we are honoring a man who paid the 
ultimate sacrifice on behalf of his fellow soldiers and on behalf of a 
grateful Nation.
  Herbert Littleton was a private first class in the U.S. Marine Corps 
Reserve, Company C, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. He 
was born in 1930 in Mena, Arkansas, and attended high school in 
Sturgis, South Dakota, where he played basketball and football. He 
enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve on July 29, 1948.
  Upon joining the Marines, he trained in San Diego and at Camp 
Pendleton before he was shipped out to Korea on December 17, 1950, 
fighting in South and Central Korean operations.
  Serving as a radio operator with an artillery forward observation 
team, he was in action against enemy aggressor forces. Private First 
Class Littleton was standing watch when a well-concealed and 
numerically superior enemy force launched a violent night attack from 
nearby positions against his company. He quickly alerted the forward 
observation team and immediately moved into an advantageous position to 
assist in calling down artillery fire onto the hostile force.
  It was during this fierce battle that an enemy hand grenade was 
thrown into his vantage point shortly after the arrival of the 
remainder of his fellow soldiers. As Mr. Lynch pointed out, Private 
First Class Littleton unhesitatingly hurled himself on the grenade, 
absorbing its full, shattering, and explosive impact. Because of his 
quick action and heroic spirit of self-sacrifice, he saved the other 
members of his team from serious injury or death and enabled them to 
carry on the vital mission which culminated in the repulse of that 
hostile attack. His unflinching valor in the face of almost certain 
death reflects the highest credit upon Private First Class Littleton 
and the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his 
country.
  In addition to being awarded the Medal of Honor for ``conspicuous 
gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the 
call of duty,'' Private First Class Littleton was awarded the Purple 
Heart, Korean Service Medal with one bronze star, and the United 
Nations Service Medal.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill in which a 
grateful Nation honors a man who courageously traded his life for the 
lives of his fellow soldiers and in service to our country.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time to close.
  Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I do want to say on behalf of Walter Minnick, 
who is the lead sponsor of this resolution who is flying in right now 
and did not have an opportunity to speak on

[[Page H5439]]

the floor, on his behalf I ask all Members to join with us. It is 
fitting, I think, that in this month of May, which marks Military 
Appreciation Month, let us join together once again to show our 
appreciation for all men and women in uniform by voting in favor of 
this resolution which would name this post office in memory of Private 
First Class Herbert A Littleton and pass H.R. 2162.
  Mr. MINNICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask our nation to honor the 
ultimate sacrifice made by Idahoan and American hero Herbert A. 
Littleton. I offer today H.R. 2162, a bill to rename Littleton's 
hometown post office in his honor. Private First Class Littleton, or 
``Herbie'', as he was known by his fellow soldiers, was killed in Korea 
on April 22, 1951, when he hurled himself without hesitation on a 
deadly grenade, absorbing its full impact and thereby saving the lives 
of his fellow soldiers.
  Littleton's actions enabled them to carry out their vital mission and 
repel an enemy attack. For that act, Littleton was posthumously awarded 
the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman. It is my hope that my 
colleagues will support today H.R. 2162 and the efforts of my 
constituents to remember Private First Class Herbert A. Littleton and 
all those heroes who serve our nation in uniform.
  Mr. LYNCH. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2162.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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